No Cooperation
Enoch composed himself. Now wasn't the time to fuss over Clorena's bad habits. Thanks to her, he'd secured what he wanted. Everything else was trivial.
"Thank you, Miss Clorena. I'll put the medicine to good use."
"It's nothing. Ah, but if you're going to take it, first—"
"I'm not planning to ingest it."
Enoch drew a firm line. Her reaction to him simply pocketing some medicine was already telling.
'I'll have to keep the fact that I acquired narcotics a secret from others.'
Rumors wouldn't do him any good. Enoch made a serious resolution and tucked the Angel Dust into his pocket.
'Ingestion, huh. Come to think of it, there was one more thing I wanted to ask.'
In his game days, Clorena had sold all sorts of potions alongside treatments. Among them were stimulants similar to stimpacks—potions that increased mana efficiency for a set period.
'Buffs are necessary anyway. If I can obtain them, they'll be quite helpful.'
Enoch felt a flicker of anticipation. He wondered if she could make them now.
"Miss Clorena. Do you know of any potions that improve mana efficiency?"
"Mana efficiency? Ah, you mean the excitants?"
"...So that's what they're called."
"No. The official name is awakening agents. But to be precise, excitants are closer—"
"Can you make awakening agents?"
A wave of dizziness hit him. Enoch quickly asked. Clorena nodded readily.
"As long as I have the materials, anytime. After all, 'excitants' don't require expensive ingredients."
"...I see. So 'awakening agents' aren't that difficult. Would it be possible for me to commission some? The compensation won't disappoint."
"Commission? Excitants?"
"Awakening agents."
Enoch said this while pulling out a check. Two hundred billion Kro. With spare money, making a few bottles of awakening agents would be easy.
"Ah, come to think of it, we were supposed to meet because of the investment."
"No need for details. I've already heard everything from Dr. Felton."
"Really? Are you sure that's okay?"
"I trust his character."
Enoch handed over the check. Clorena accepted it confidently. No tricks, so nothing to feel guilty about. It was the reaction an investor most welcomed.
"Thanks for the investment. I won't let you regret it."
"Reassuring. I'll count on you for the awakening agents too."
"Excitants won't take long. I'll make a few samples and send them to your address. Try them and leave a review. Give it five stars."
"Understood. But must we keep calling them excitants?"
Enoch couldn't hold back and asked. Clorena widened her eyes as if to say 'why not?'
"Huh? Of course. That's the main effect, after all."
"I think awakening agents sounds better."
"I prefer excitants, though?"
A subtle tug-of-war ensued. Clorena was uncompromising when it came to pharmaceuticals. Perhaps it was her pride as an alchemist. Enoch felt complicated. Just like before, she was reliable as an investor. But the name was a bit much.
"Let's compromise. How about coming up with a new name?"
"A name... That sounds good. We'll be improving it gradually anyway. Since we're making an entirely new drug."
Clorena thought for a moment, then grinned. She seemed to find it quite amusing. Then she muttered words and counted on her fingers.
"Sap from the Bipa tree, roots of Arakacho."
"..."
"Concentrate from Grasilia fruit, pistils of Radisca flowers."
"......"
"Those are the ingredients. How about taking the first letters: Viagra?"
"Let's end this conversation here."
Enoch drew the line.
A short while later, the two moved again. Soon they arrived at Orban's car. Orban stuck his head out through the open window.
"Hey. You guys didn't see any drugs, did you?"
"Didn't see any."
"I don't know anything."
"...? Alright."
Orban accepted it. It was a bit odd, but not worth pressing. There was something more important now.
"So, have you thought about it?"
"About what?"
"What do you mean what? Whether you agree with my plan. Isn't that why you left your seats on purpose?"
Orban chuckled as if he knew everything. Enoch and Clorena exchanged glances.
'That's not it.'
'What is this guy talking about?'
It came out of nowhere. They were slightly flustered.
'Still, the answer is already decided.'
Enoch cleared his throat. He spoke in a clear voice.
"I've thought carefully about your proposal."
"Yeah? That's an honor. What's your answer?"
"I'd like some time to consider it."
"...Time?"
"Yes. It's not something to decide right away."
Enoch spoke nonchalantly. It wasn't wrong, either. A single meeting wasn't enough to make such a light decision.
"I feel the same. I want to decide after seeing how the war situation develops."
Clorena beside him agreed. Her intentions were similar. But their responses weren't what Orban had expected.
"Decision, decision, huh."
Orban rested his chin on his hand. He tapped the table with his fingers. A sign of displeasure.
"Really, what a convenient answer."
-Tap tap
"In the end, you'll play both sides like bats, won't you?"
"That hurts to hear. Truly regrettable."
"Don't pretend to hesitate. It's disgusting to watch."
Orban showed a sharp attitude. Then he let out a deep breath. With a heavy sigh, hidden hostility leaked out.
"...These bastards. I treated you nicely, and now you're treating people like dog shit?"
"......"
"Why do you think I've tolerated your rudeness until now? Because I thought you'd join forces with me, obviously."
Orban downed the remaining alcohol. The glass emptied. He threw it at the two.
-Clang!
"...But after I went easy on you, now you're going to play it cautious like bats? Did you think I'd let that slide?"
Orban spoke threateningly. He no longer wore the mask of patience. He didn't continue the act of courtesy. Clorena trembled belatedly. She realized anew that the Golden Mage had been going easy on her.
"...Even so, my answer won't change."
"What?"
"That's right. Your plan ultimately means opposing the Empire. We need time too."
Even frightened, her mouth worked. Clorena said what she had to say. Orban chuckled in disbelief.
"Ha... Really?"
"..."
"You need time. Is that it?"
The finger tapping the table stopped. Orban's index finger. The ring on it melted. It transformed like a rope and shot toward Clorena.
-Shhhrrk
-Thud!
"...?! Gurk!!"
A golden noose tightened around Clorena's neck. She lost her balance and collapsed toward the car door. Before they knew it, Orban held a golden noose in his hand.
"Now I'm curious."
"Gurk!"
Orban pulled the noose. As if dragging a slave, he pulled Clorena toward him.
"Come on, say it again. Do you still need time even now?"
"..."
"Will my patience run out first, or will you make a decision first? I'll give you the time you asked for. Hurry up and give me the answer. For reference, I hate waiting."
Orban asked again. Clorena, collapsed on the floor, breathed roughly. Enoch, who had been watching, spoke belatedly.
"Orban."
"What."
"I think the joke has gone a bit too far."
Enoch twirled his finger. Chain Harmony. The golden noose choking her neck disappeared. Instead, it transformed into a small snake and flew toward Orban.
-Shaaak!
"!"
Orban quickly canceled his magic. The snake reverted to a ring and fell to the floor. Enoch's shoe firmly stepped on the ring.
"Orban. You already knew, didn't you? That I've been traveling with the Tower Lords."
"..."
"You know what that means, don't you?"
Enoch subtly threatened. Orban met his eyes for a moment, then clicked his tongue and withdrew his hand.
"...Tsk."
-Cough! Cough cough!
Clorena coughed dryly on the floor. Orban no longer paid her any attention. The one to talk to now was someone else.
"...So, is your conclusion the same? You need time too?"
"Well. It doesn't seem like time will solve the problem."
"What?"
Orban glared again. Enoch ignored him and asked.
"I have one question."
"What."
"Have you made similar proposals to others besides us?"
"...? I have, but?"
"Then what happened to them? Did they accept your proposal?"
"..."
Orban fell silent for a moment. Then he smirked.
"Of course they did."
"..."
"They had no choice. Once I mark someone, I don't let go easily."
"...I see. Then one more thing. All the copyrights you purchased. What happened to their original owners?"
"...What? How would I know that. I paid the price, and the accounts are settled. Is there any need for me to know more?"
Orban tilted his head. A face that truly didn't know. As if wondering why he was asking such a thing. But Enoch wasn't fooled. He already knew the original content.
The original owners of the copyrights Orban had purchased. Most of them had ended their lives by suicide. Because the techniques they had devoted their lives to completing had been stolen as if robbed.
'Even this fact is mentioned directly by Orban himself. In other words, he already knows even at this moment.'
"......"
"...? Why are you staring like that?"
Orban still acted like he didn't know. Enoch was newly impressed. All the behaviors he'd seen since first meeting him. The somewhat simple yet ridiculous attitude. All of that wasn't his true nature. It was just acting as needed.
'When things go wrong, his true nature comes out immediately. Just like when he strangled Clorena's neck earlier. If I had been weak, I would have suffered the same.'
Orban Barkus. Whether in a good or bad sense, he was truly the incarnation of a mage. If he had to compare, perhaps Cao Cao. Cao Cao discarded Wu Jin, whom he had devoted his life to, with a single mistake. Orban was similar. Truly cooperating with him was impossible.
'Should I just kill him here?'
Enoch seriously considered it. It wasn't as easy as with the imperial mage. But it wasn't impossible either. The problem wasn't his strength, but his background.
'Ambiguous. Orban is ultimately the king of troublemakers. But no matter what, it's also true that he fights for humanity.'
Moreover, he held 15% of the continent's financial power. Including Dimaira, numerous companies connected to him would be shaken. How great a backlash would come? Was Enoch himself prepared to face that storm?
'In the end, it's a gamble.'
Enoch calmed his mind. Gambling was the thing to avoid most. If he acted swayed by emotions, he would become no different from Orban. Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh. He folded away the rising thoughts.
-Hoo...
"...Orban."
"...? Why?"
"We'll be meeting a lot from now on, it seems."
"......"
Orban tilted his head. Then grinned.
"What a coincidence. I was thinking something similar."
A short while later, Enoch and Clorena got out of the car. However, Clorena's condition wasn't good at all. Inevitably, Enoch supported her. To the two moving away, Orban added one more thing.
"I won't wait long. Contact me if you change your mind."
Orban handed over a business card and closed the window. Then he left. Thus, the two were left on the street. Since they had nowhere particular to go, Enoch first took her to Dr. Felton.
"Thanks, Enoch. Did the talk with her go well?"
"For now. She has some injury on her neck, so treatment first—"
-Beeep
At that moment, Enoch's communicator rang. Enoch excused himself and checked the caller. It was Lakrina.
-Click
"Hello?"
-...Teacher.
"Lakrina. What's going on, at this late hour."
Enoch asked curiously. The situation was a bit strange. Lakrina answered weakly.
-...Teacher. I'm heading back to Magnusra now.
"...What?"
-There was something a bit difficult... Could I see you for a moment?
Enoch didn't answer. Before he knew it, he was moving toward the airport.